Hostility [towards himself] has come more from borderline people whether within the Church of England or without it: men not exactly obedient to any communion. This I find curiously consoling. It is at her centre, where her truest children dwell, that each communion is really closest to every other in spirit, if not in doctrine. And this suggests that at the centre of each there is a something or a Someone, who against all divergencies of belief, all differences ofI find that statement rich in observation and experience. I see what Lewis said applies to any denomination. When the middle position is thin, when on the right you have the fundamentalist fanatics and on the left you have libertine liberals, it is just a matter of time before a major split happens.
temperament, all memories of mutual persecution, speaks with the same voice.
Speaking of my denomination, I like what Dr. Ichabod said one time in his post. He said, he wished the crypto-papists and the church growthers would simply leave, and leave behind, the Concordians in peace. In truth as Augustinian Successor said, the former is more potent and dangerous than the latter. The latter is easily detected, but the former hides under the banner -"confessional", they can easily pull the wool over your eyes, specially if you are not familiar with Scripture and do not have time to check with the BoC.
3 comments:
Great post!
My pastor is always talking about 'the center'. This is where confessional Lutheranism is...at 'the center'. For the center is Christ. He is the Center of all things.
Otherwise we get caught up in ourselves at either end. Fundamentalist right, or liberal left...it all curves back on us.
The center is the place to be. Thankfully the Lord has blessed me with a pastor that knows this.
Steve,
God bless you and your pastor.
I am so glad you and your pastor are in the middle. I am glad too that my pastor is also walking the center line.
The Lutherans I have come accross here and some in the internet are thoroughly level headed. That is why I also was happy to be in their company. They struggle as to how to bring the Gospel, they agonize, they try to reach with both hands Christians and non-Christians alike, they debate - (just look at how we dealt with debate on women's ordination). They allow dissent, then debate, discussion, deliberation and then finally a decision is made and respected. They indulge in self-criticism and skeptical about themselves because that is what fanaticism is - fanaticism is never in doubt of itself. This misses the teaching about our corrupted nature, fanaticism does not check itself.
Church life is messy but voices must be heard, even the voice of misguided ones must be allowed to speak, because if we don't we are just another cult.
The spirit of the Law kills, but the HS which is the spirit of the Gospel liberates. Jesus is the way the truth and the life, and the truth Jesus says, sets us free.
Gal 5:1 1It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery
Blessings,
LPC
lpc,
Very well put.
When there is trouble in the Church, it usually revolves around someone trying to take away our Christian freedom.
Galatians 5:1 is one of my favorite verses in scripture. Thanks for reminding me of it. I never tire of hearing it.
Grace and Peace!
- Steve M.
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